How to Make Perfect Pancakes

A quick and easy way to make perfect pancakes

W.C. Fields once said, "The laziest man I ever met put popcorn in his pancakes so they would turn over by themselves." This pancake recipe will make it so easy for you to flip 'em you won't need any such tricks.

Flapjacks, griddlecakes, pancakes, hot cakes—whatever you call them, they're delicious. To truly acheive pancake perfection you must make them from scratch. The boxed mixes, while useful when you're in a rush or camping in the woods, can't come close to the taste and texture of your own homemade batter. You need to know how to make these, and make them well.

Follow this perfect pancake recipe and these steps, and you'll never go hungry again. Once you've mastered these basics feel free to experiment by adding a dash of vanilla, a scoop of plain yogurt, slices of your favorite fruit, a dash of cinnamon, or just about anything else you think might turn these basic flapjacks into a work of art. Enjoy.

Mix milk, eggs, and melted butter: In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients until the egg is broken up.

Combine the wet and dry:Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Gently stir them together until you stop seeing flour. Be careful not to over mix, that will make the batter tough. Leave a few lumps for tender pancakes.

Preheat the pan: Place your pan over a medium-high flame and let the surface get hot. It' hot enough when you sprinkle a few droplets of water over the surface and they evaporate.

Oil the pan: Moisten a paper towel with vegetable oil and lightly wipe the bottom of the pan. This will keep the pancakes from sticking.

Prepare the sacrifice: It is one of the great unsolved mysteries of the universe that the first pancake is always a disaster. Accept it and move on to pancake number 2.

For each pancake, gently pour 1/2 cup of batter into the pan, using a ladle or a measuring cup. Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter into a circle.

Wait:Watch the pancakes carefully. Bubbles will form in the batter. When they begin to pop, the pancakes are ready to be flipped. Turn over gently with the spatula and cook for about one minute on the flip side.